Warner Brothers Introduces Movies As Apps

In what may be the new killer app for the Apple iPad, Warner Brothers has deviced a clever way to distribute their home film releases in a way that is similar to DVDs but designed for the new digital world. They are starting off with releases of The Dark Knight and Inception. Get the details after the break. The two Christopher Nolan films are available as Apps (being called “App Editions”), but the way they work is kind of tricky. The apps themselves are free, but in order to get to the film itself and all the goods, you have to make an in-app purchase. The Dark Knight is $9.99 and Inception is $11.99, but with that 10 or 12 dollars, you get exclusive content like free music, art gallery, behind the scenes video, and more.

While I question the in-app purchase side of the concept (I imagine this is to allow you to preview the app before purchasing), this really could be the new way to distribute home releases of films. iPads and other mobile devices are sweeping the nation and world, and to have a more dynamic copy of your favorite films on the go is very enticing, especially when they are about the same price (if not better) as regular digital copies.

If this catches on, I hope studios make a single app that you can purchase within to avoid clutter on your phone/tablet, but until then, this is a good start.

What do you all think? Watch the video demo of the apps below and click here for the full press release.